While conducting shorebird surveys this past weekend, Jeanie Joppru and I encountered a total of 25 Plegadis ibises in 5 west-central Minnesota locations. Except for one individual, all were juveniles and thus not identified as to species. An adult-looking bird at location #1 showed reddish irides, but the color of its facial skin could not be determined; therefore, the remote possibility of a hybrid Glossy x White-faced Ibis could not be ruled out. The 5 locations are as follows: 1) state highway 28, just west of Big Stone County Road 61 (16 juveniles and one adult photographed Saturday afternoon); 2) Big Stone County Road 61, about 4 and 1/2 miles south of state highway 28 (one juvenile seen Saturday afternoon); 3) Big Stone County Road 64, about a mile east of US 75 and across the road from Munnwyler Lake (one juvenile photographed Saturday evening); 4) Big Stone NWR, west side of road to Low Flow area off Big Stone County Road 21 (one bird found at sunrise--it was subsequently seen flying south into Lac Qui Parle County--towards Bellingham); 5) Big Stone NWR, east end of Auto Tour Route (five juveniles photographed at about 4:30 PM Sunday). -- Peder H. Svingen Duluth, MN
